Traders at the popular Henshaw town beach market in Calabar, the Cross River state capital, yesterday, vowed to stop all manner of business transactions in the market over what they described as unreasonable levy purportedly from the state Internal Revenue Service.
The market, known in local parlance as Urua Esuk Nsidung, is where large quantity of assorted fishes and bags of crayfish are sold in wholesale to retailers. These goods are brought from the Bakassi peninsular and other fishing settlements along the shores of Atlantic Ocean. Buyers from across the country patronise the market on Mondays and Fridays.
But the traders, under the aegis of Henshaw Town Beach Market Traders Union (HETOBMATU), said business was no more worth doing because agents of government were making thing very difficult.
Secretary of the group, Mr. Effiong Bassey Udoh, said despite the fact that they were already paying huge amount to government with different subheads; another letter was again sent from the Internal Revenue Service demanding outrageous amount as economic development levy.
“They categorised the said levy under what they call Waterfront Land Allocation, Boat Registration Levy, Foreign Landing Permit, Local Landing Permit as well as Goods/Product levy.
“The amount ranges from N5, 000 to N20, 000 annually for waterfront allocation. They also charge for rice that you buy to go and eat; they say we should pay levy for garri, slippers, salt, beans, and sachet of water amongst others. This is very ridiculous,” he said.
Also speaking, the chairman of Boat Owners Association, Mr. Nkereuwem Edet Bassey, expressed disgust that despite the fact that they were already paying toll ticket, landing fees, sanitation fee, security fee, and royalty, someone could dream of increasing the suffering of the masses with additional levy.
“Few years ago, when they introduced levies and different fees which we are currently paying, we drew government’s attention to the deplorable condition of that beach market, and they promised to provide amenities like electricity, convenience, shops for us to keep our wares and to even make the place a bit clean, but till today, nothing has been done, only for another letter to be sent to us for additional levy.
“We will not pay the levy enumerated in that their letter. We will stop all operations and business in that place until they reverse this draconian levy. They are charging levy on garri, salt, beans, and everything.
“We pay tax and other levy to Cameroon where these fishing settlements are located. On our way back, sea pirates would waylay us and collect money and when we manage to bring these goods back home to Calabar, they say we should come and pay a heavy amount. It is like they do not want us to continue business here.”
